Joseph Cabla

2nd Lt. Joseph Cabla enlisted at Jefferson Barracks, MO in 1913. He made Corporal 9/13/1916 Co. H of the 36th Infantry in Brownsville, TX.
He was appointed Sergeant 7/6/1917 Co. K of the 40th Infantry at Fort Snelling, MN.
During those years he patrolled the Mexican border in search of Pancho Villa.
Toward the end of 1917 he was sent to Camp Meade. He was to go on to receive the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

There are four books that I have found so far in which he is mentioned.
Three of them are on the CDs from
The Digital Bookshelf.
Of particular interest is "Under The Lorraine Cross" by Arthur H. Joel.

It is stated that under heavy fire he maneuvered his patrol to flank the enemy machine gun nests and came within five feet of one gunner and opened fire.
While ordering his men to fall back, a bullet struck him in the chest.
The bullet hit the whistle and a small book he carried in his breast pocket, which stopped it from causing grave harm. The whistle was crushed and the book was shredded.
A second bullet took off the heel of his boot, and a third cut across his toes but he kept advancing and refused to stop fighting until the end of the battle.
Captain Schoge personally recommended him for a lieutenancy and secured it.

He also received gas burns during other battles.
It was noted that the charge up Hill 319 was the most exciting charge the outfit ever made.
Waving his pistol and yelling like a crazy Mexican in the old 16-reel serials, Lt. Cabla on the right flank lead the charge.
The men quickly followed with guns blazing and rushed the hill.
It was mentioned that this type of mob psychology could have been the largest factor in winning the battle.

Returning from the war he moved to Houston, TX.
He later moved to Detroit, MI and eventually bought a farm outside of Dundee, MI.
His family currently resides in the area.
As a side note, his son, grandson and great-grandson are also named Joseph Cabla, except each has a different middle name. We are all very proud and grateful for our American hero!

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